A rare manuscript was stolen from a glass-domed table. The security camera showed a man walking up to the table, placing his hands flat on the glass, and walking away empty-handed. Yet, the manuscript vanished. How did he steal it?
He lifted the glass dome
The riddle states the manuscript was on a glass-domed table, but it never said the dome was locked down. He simply picked up the glass cover and took the paper.
About this riddle
Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.
Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
More detective riddles
Detective Reyes questions five witnesses about the order they reached the museum door. Aria reached the door before Iris. Iris reached the door before Carmen. Hugo reached the door before Aria. Jonas reached the door before Hugo. Who reached the door third?
A jewel thief left a mocking note at a crime scene written entirely in mirror-writing. Detective Holmes held the paper up to a bathroom mirror to read the message: 'You will never catch me.' Local officers praised his cleverness, but Holmes dismissed them, saying he didn't need the mirror at all to read it. How could Holmes read it instantly?
At a remote mountain lodge, a guest was found stabbed to death. Three suspects claimed they were sleeping in their respective rooms all night. The detective checked the hallway floor, which was covered in a thick layer of freshly fallen dust. Only one set of footprints was found in the hallway: a line going from the victim's room to the back exit. None of the suspects' rooms showed any disturbed dust near their doors. How did the killer commit the murder without leaving footprints outside their own doors?
Detective Miller walked into a locked-room crime scene. The victim was sitting in a swivel chair facing a blank wall, holding a telephone receiver to his ear. The phone line was completely cut outside the house. Miller smiled and said, 'He knew he was in danger before the line went dead.' How did Miller know?
A ship captain was found murdered in his private quarters. The first mate stated he discovered the body at sunrise when he brought the captain his morning coffee. Detective Cruz examined the body and noticed the captain's wristwatch had stopped at 2:15 AM, and the room's electric heater was still red-hot and burning. Cruz arrested the first mate for murder. Why?
Inspector Gray found a dead man in a closed car with all the windows rolled up tight and the doors locked from the inside. The engine was cold, the gas tank was empty, and there were no signs of trauma. On the passenger seat lay a map of the mountains. What caused the man's death?